Private versus Public Hospital for Birth

Hi All

Just a bit lost at the moment. I joined up private health cover in January this year and we got pregnant a little early. My health cover for private kicks in on January 18 but Bub is due on December 31.

I am sure I will be fine going public but would love the private room for my first.

Does anyone know whether you can actually pay for a private room in a hospital and how much is costs? DP and I were just wondering and we can't find any information on it over the internet. I thought here was the best place to try first!

Thanks so much for your help.

Love Bindy xx

You can only elect for a private room.

Just because you are a 'private patient' - whether in a public or prviate facility - it doesnt give you any more right to a private room than anyone else unfortunately ( i have had to calm many patients down about this issue before....) Ie: if a public patient is in a private room and you come if overing to pay private they will NOT kick the public patient out - it is usually first in best dressed or who ever is needing that room more (more serious cases etc).

So unfortunately in all my experiences with the number of hospitals (both public and private) - you cannot demand or pay your way to a private room unless there is one actually free and available at the time. Obviously if there isnt one available they cant charge you for it - but you will then need to be public in all cases (ie dr's etc).

You are best to ask the specific hospitals about costs as all private hospitals have their own costs - but yes you can pay for a private room (as a private patient) but i am 99.9% sure you have to pay private for everything else too and that can be a very expensive stay if it is just so that you are alone.

Try a ring around ... hope that helps!!

hugs

PM

Bindy,
Most private hopsitals in Brisbane are one bed to the room. So, if you go private you will have your own room.

If you are a public patient you can't flip over to being private and get your own room. It doesn't work like that. You either have to be a private patient in a public hospital (you are then still not guaranteed of a private room) or a public patient in a public hospital.

Private rooms in public hospitals are given to clients who most need them. So, for instance, if I had had a traumatic birth, lost a baby, had twins, required lots of aftercare for whateaver reason I would be given a private room if it was available over and above a private patient. However, most public hospitals have private wards where there are a large number (can't quite remember what the new rbwh is set out...) if not all private beds. But you then have to pay for an obs etc for a private birth... It's a bit tricky hey?

If you are wanting a top experience but not wanting to pay I would employ a doula. You will get wonderful care and support and you can go home the next day... It's something to consider... :hug:

Thanks girls, it does get confusing but it's my first so of course I have loads of questions! I only become a private patient on 18 January next year because you have a 12 month waiting period for obstetric care in Medibank Private. But that's fine as I have so much support from DP and considered a low risk patient (at this stage anyway). I guess if there were a private room available at the time then great but if not, that would be okay too and I'll probably end up chatting with all the other Mummies!! I'm sure it will all be a wonderful experience (oh and painful too, lol!) but I can't wait to meet Bubs and that's most important. Doula sounds great but do they have to be there for the actual birth? I don't have much knowledge with respect to a Doula...haven't read too much about them.

Thanks so much for your input to my questions, it means alot to me.

Have a lovely week. Bindy xx

Hi Bindy,

You might want to check out the birth statistics of what ever birth place you choose. Private hospitals tend to be associated with higher rates of c/s and intervention than public hospitals.

It depends on what kind of birth experience you are wanting. If you would like a technical/surgical approach (with machines that blink etc!) then a hospital is the place to go.

If you are hoping for a more natural birth experience, you'd be better off to look at other alternatives. Midwives specialise in normal birth. A homebirth with a midwife or a Birth Centre are options if a natural birth & normal delivery are your aim.

Kelly has some great info here on birth statistics in Victoria.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ad.php?t=16414

If you check out 'Articles' on Bellybelly, there's a couple of good ones there that explain what doulas do.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/pregna...hat-is-a-doula

Actually I would recommend a quick scan through the Bellybelly birth articles as a great general intro to preparing for birth - like, 'Childbirth 101'! That's what I suggest to my clients.

Julie is right.
We went public and had midwife care only. With no medical intervention - very natural
I didnt even see a doctor until the afternoon on the next day.

That's great to hear, Princessmya. It pays to shop around and do the product research, doesn't it?

~Bindy~ - if you check out Latrobe Health they only have 9 months waiting on obstetrics, and they count the time you have already served, so you will be covered 2 months early.

We changed when we were pregnant with them so we would be covered, and i think a few other ppl on the site are also with them.

Yael, that sounds great, I will give them a call in the morning. Is sounds so easy though...are you sure there is no catch? I have been with Medibank Private since January. I am hoping they let me join if that's the case as Bub comes along in 5 months!

~Bindy~ - we changed, although a little earlier, but i don't think it should matter at all. They have to credit your time served with your other fund, and you have to change onto the same level, but i think it's as easy as that.

And their premiums are pretty good also... i think better than MBP. We stayed with them for like 6 months after we had the baby, and then we changed back to HCF.

Just give them a call in the morning and see.

Great but I am from Queensland. Do you know whether it would matter at all because on their website is gives you a list of Queensland Hospitals anyway??